Laura H. Dinehart

Associations between Low-Income Children's Fine Motor Skills in Preschool and Academic Performance in Second Grade.

Research Findings: Given the growing literature pertaining to the importance of fine motor skills for later academic achievement (D. W. Grissmer, K. J. Grimm, S. M. Aiyer, W. M. Murrah, & J. S. Steele, 2010), the current study examines whether the fine motor skills of economically disadvantaged preschool students predict later academic performance in 2nd grade. More specifically, we expand on the current literature and evaluate whether 2 types of fine motor skills—fine motor object manipulation and fine motor writing—predict academic achievement above and beyond the effects of demographic characteristics and early language and cognition skills. Results indicate that performance on both fine motor writing and object manipulation tasks had significant effects on 2nd-grade reading and math achievement, as measured by grades and standardized test scores. Stronger effects were yielded for writing tasks compared to object manipulation tasks. Practice or Policy: Implications for researchers and early childhood practitioners are discussed.

Handwriting in Early Childhood Education: Current Research and Future Implications.

Early fine motor writing skills are quickly becoming recognized as an important school readiness skill associated with later academic success (Dinehart and Manfra, 2013; Grissmer et al., 2010; Son and Meisels, 2006). Yet, little is known about the development of handwriting, the extent to which it is of value in the early childhood classroom and the best means by which to teach handwriting, or at least handwriting readiness, to young children. The current work reviews the literature on handwriting and its place in early childhood education. Overall, this article serves as a call for (a) researchers to continue examining the role of handwriting in the early education and development of young children and (b) practitioners to develop and implement programmes they know to be best practice in teaching early handwriting or handwriting ‘readiness’ skills.

Early Intervention with Children Prenatally Exposed to Cocaine: Expansion with Multiple Cohorts

Prenatal cocaine exposure is an indicator for adverse developmental outcomes. To prevent developmental disabilities, an early intervention program for children birth to 3 years was developed that included three groups: center-based, home-based, and primary care comparison. The intervention was implemented across 10 years and data were collected on 342 children and families who were primarily urban, poor, and members of traditionally underrepresented groups. At 36 months of age, center and home-based intervention participants had more advanced cognitive and language abilities and fewer behavior problems than the primary care group participants. In addition, center-based participants had more advanced language abilities than home-based participants. The findings indicate that the early intervention impact is sustainable over time and has a positive effect on children at risk due to prenatal cocaine exposure.

Associations Between Counting Ability in Preschool and Mathematic Performance in First Grade Among a Sample of Ethnically Diverse, Low-Income Children

This study explores the effects of counting objects and reciting numbers in preschool on 1st-grade math performance. Data on 3,125 low-income preschoolers’ (4- to 5-year-olds) counting abilities (orally reciting numerals in chronological order and counting blocks) were collected during a fall session (between September 15 and December 15) and were associated with 1st-grade math performance 2 years later. Childrens counting abilities were organized into five ordinal categories (from lowest to highest): (1) cannot recite or count to 10, (2) can only recite to 10, (3) can count and recite to 10, (4) can recite (but not count) to 20, and (5) can count and recite to 20. Results of hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for sex, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and days absent in 1st grade, yielded a significant linear relation across the five counting ability categories. Children who were able to count and recite to 20 during the first half of preschool had the highest math performance in 1st grade. Implications for the importance of these findings for early curricula math standards are discussed.

Contemplative Practices in Early Childhood: Implications for Self-Regulation Skills and School Readiness.

This article examines the development of self-regulation skills in early childhood and the possibilities of childrens contemplative practices as a viable tool to facilitate this development. Current research indicates that self-regulation skills in early childhood education make a significant contribution to school readiness, and long-term academic success. This link establishes the need to bridge the gap between scientific research and classroom practice to implement more programmes that facilitate this development in early childhood classrooms. The development of self-regulation skills are discussed and examined specifically in relation to being mindful, achieving focussed attention and increased awareness of social–emotional behaviours. The contemplative practices, an umbrella term for mindfulness and meditational-based practices, are viewed as potential vehicles to facilitate self-regulation skills in the early childhood classrooms. Additional research is recommended to determine whether children exposed to these programmes will demonstrate more appropriate social–emotional behaviours, including enhancing childrens self-regulation skills leading to long-term academic success.

Knowledge of Child Abuse and Reporting Practices among Early Care and Education Providers.

This study sought to assess child abuse knowledge and reporting practices of a diverse sample of early care and education (ECE) practitioners. One hundred and thirty-seven practitioners in the state of Florida completed the Early Childhood Educators Child Abuse Questionnaire. Results revealed that only a minority of participants have been involved in making child abuse reports. Although most reported receiving training in child maltreatment, many still were unsure of legal requirements of reporting. Responses to vignettes of potential abuse revealed a tendency to report to school administration more often than reporting directly to authorities. On a test of child abuse knowledge, the majority of the respondents demonstrated a fair level of knowledge. Recommendations for future research involving ECE administrators are suggested.

Preschool writing and premathematics predict Grade 3 achievement for low-income, ethnically diverse children

ABSTRACT The present study was designed to explore the association between preschool academic skills and Grade 3 achievement among a sample of ethnically diverse children from low-income families. Data were collected from a sample of 1,442 low-income, ethnically diverse children in preschool and associated with Grade 3 achievement in reading and mathematics 4 years later. Mixed-effects modeling indicated that preschool skills significantly predicted Grade 3 achievement measures while controlling for various child-level factors and random school effects. While several preschool factors were predictive of Grade 3 achievement, writing/copying and counting/premathematics skills were consistently strong predictors of Grade 3 achievement across all measures and domains suggesting these are important foundational skills for academic success in midelementary school among low-income, ethnically diverse children. Findings also replicate studies demonstrating that writing plays an important role in learning and achievement. Findings have implications for early education policy and practice intended to support academic development among low-income, ethnically diverse children.

Teachers Don’t Always Do What They Think They Should: A Preliminary Validation of the Early Childhood Educators’ Knowledge of Self-Regulation Skills Questionnaire

The extent to which teachers understand the concept of self-regulation skills and how best to implement practices that enhance self-regulation in children in the early childhood education classroom remains unexamined. The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the self-reporting Early Childhood Educators Knowledge of Self-Regulation Questionnaire (ECESRQ) instrument designed to identify teachers’ knowledge and instruction of self-regulation skills in the classroom. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to determine three latent factors: teacher attitudes and beliefs, classroom management techniques, and child behavior. The findings identified parallel the literature in the preservice teacher-training arena, suggesting a theoretical basis for the underlying constructs. EFA contributed to establishing good estimates of construct validity in the ECESRQ; in addition Cronbach’s alpha results demonstrated moderate levels of internal reliability. Pearson correlation was used to additionally determine the extent to which teachers understand self-regulatory skills and their ability to implement effective tools in the classroom to enhance these skills. Results and implications for practice in the early childhood classroom are discussed.

Proximal Variables in Families of Children Prenatally Exposed to Cocaine and Enrolled in a Center- or Home-Based Intervention:

The present study examined proximal variables in families of children prenatally exposed to cocaine and enrolled in a large-scale intervention program. Fifty-six high-risk families of children enrolled in the center-based (n = 30) or home-based (n = 26) intervention of the Linda Ray Intervention Program were interviewed. Four proximal variables were assessed: (a) quality of the caregiving environment, (b) familys regularity and predictability of daily routines, (c) caregivers perception of the familys adequacy of resources, and (d) frequency and intensity of caregivers experience with daily hassles. Results suggested that families of children enrolled in the center-based condition had more predictable daily routines than families of home-based participants. A familys adequacy of resources influenced the quality of the caregiving environment. Families with adequate resources were more likely to provide daily routines. Caregivers with fewer years of education were less able to establish and maintain daily routines which predicted, in part, a poorer caregiving environment.

Recognizing and Responding to Young Children’s Sexual Behaviors in the Classroom

As an early childhood educator, Ms. Maria felt able to recognize and manage the difficult, but age-appropriate behaviors of the 3and 4-year-olds in her classroom. Kaleb often had trouble sitting still during circle time, and Annabelle was still crying at drop off. Janell had language delays but was progressing since the start of the year. Fortunately, Ms. Maria was equipped with the training and skill to manage these behaviors, and every day they were becoming less disruptive. However, there were some behaviors Ms. Maria was having trouble managing. During naptime, one afternoon, Ms. Maria noticed Emilio, a child with autism, laying down on his mat with his hand down his pants, apparently self-stimulating. Unsure what to do, Ms. Maria simply ignored Emilio’s behavior—but she wondered, “Is Emilio being sexually abused?” Another afternoon, she found Sophia and Michael, both age 4, in the bathroom. They had their pants down and were looking at one another and laughing. They looked up surprised when she came in. Another time, Juan was found trying to tongue kiss Angelique in the corner of the room. And then, Ellen (age 3.5) who has a hearing impairment, pointed to Tomas’s pants, and questioned Ms. Maria, “Me . . . penis?” Ms. Maria was shocked at Ellen’s use of this term and was not really sure how to answer her question. Finally, one of her male students would often sit on her lap during story time and touch her breasts while she was reading to him. Ms. Maria’s experience in the classroom is fairly typical. Many early childhood educators encounter children who exhibit sexual behavior and are not sure how to respond. Although they have had training in childhood development, sexual development is rarely given the attention it deserves. At the same time, early childhood education personnel often get